When you order books, cards, or calendars in Photos for OS X or iPhoto, your photos need to meet requirements for quality output. Learn about the requirements for each print product.

Find out your photo's resolution

Compare your photo's resolution to the table below to see if the photo will work well in a print product. You can find out a photo's resolution (pixel size) with these steps.

Photos for OS X:

Select the photo in your library.

Press Command-I.

An Info window appears, showing a variety of information about the photo, including its resolution.
Example: 4032 × 3024 1.7 MB

iPhoto:

Select the photo in your library.

Press Command-I.

A sidebar appears on the right-hand side of the window, showing a variety of information about the photo, including its resolution.
Example: 4032 × 3024 1.7 MB

Recommended photo resolution by product

After you've found out the pixel size of your photo using the steps above, you can use this table to make sure the photo will look great when it's printed.

Find the product you want in the first column, and then make sure your photo is larger than the dimensions given under Minimum recommended (180 dpi). (For the best quality, your photo should be closer in size to the dimensions listed under the last column.)

Product

Photo Size (in)

Photo Size (cm)

Minimum recommended (180 dpi)

Best quality (300 dpi)

Extra-large Hardcover Book

13 x 10

33 x 25.4

2375 x 1836

3938 x 3044

Large Hardcover Book

11 x 8½

28 x 21.5

2010 x 1558

3338 x 2587

Medium Softcover Book

8 x 6

20 x 15

1440 x 1080

2438 x 1838

Small Softcover Book

3½ x 2 ⅝

8.9 x 6.7

660 x 495

1088 x 825

Extra-large Square Book

10 x 10

25 x 25

1836 x 1836

3044 x 3044

Large Square Book

8 x 8

20 x 20

1440 x 1440

2438 x 2438

Square Softcover Book

8 x 8

20 x 20

1440 x 1440

2438 x 2438

Calendar

13 x 10

33 x 25.4

2375 x 1836

3938 x 3044

Folded Card

5 x 7

13 x 18

1300 x 928

2138 x 1538

Flat Card

4 x 6

10 x 15

1105 x 736

1838 x 1238

Learn more

The dimensions listed in the table above are for full-page, full-bleed photos (photos that extend to the edge of the page). You can use proportionally smaller images for multi-picture spreads.

If you zoom in to a portion of your photo, the resolution listed above applies to the portion of the photo shown in the print product.

Some versions of iPhoto allow you to purchase print products that include photos below the minimum recommended resolution, but these photos might look blurry or pixelated.

Find out the requirements for ordering photo prints (not books, cards, or calendars).